Thanks Skypilot,

I had wondered if it were a campaign medal but I wasn’t sure if these were issued during or after the war. Thanks for putting me straight on that one.

I’m very glad you enjoyed the written part of this amazing man’s story. I found the earlier part about him training pilots in Britain as fascinating as his latter combat career. And what you guys don’t benefit from when reading is hearing his voice, which was always enthusiastic and concise, recalling these amazing tales with clarity and ease, and always with a devilish sense of humour. We laughed a heck of a lot on the occasions when I interviewed him. In fact just recently he gave me a couple more funny stories that I must add in. One was about three different Air Force funerals he attended, and believe me I got nervous when he broached the subject thinking it was going to be rather sensitive and morbid. Far from it, all three are hilarious stories when he tells them, and each one made the funeral debacle in ‘Piece of Cake’ look tame!

Ron is a lively and charasmatic character and I have to say it has been a great pleasure to get to know him. He will be attending the Air Force reunion that I’m arranging in a few weeks time so I’m looking forward to perhaps a few more tales. 🙂

Here’s a couple of photos of some of 488 (NZ) Sqn’s men together again more than fifty years later. Ron, as always, is the bald one. 🙂

Another bunch.

Notes:
Photo 2 – this is an extraordinary photo. It was taken by a meber of the groundcrew while the Sqn was at Bradwell Bay. It is the absolutely middle of the night. They took it during an extreme lightning storm, and simply opened the aperture on the camera and waited for a lightning strike to expose the film. I guess this was possible during the blackout where there was no light pollution. Another thing about it is left is Jimmy Gunn, and right Ron Watts, the first and second pilots consecutively to shoot down an enemy aircraft. This occurred just a few nigths later over the channel, and Jimmy Gunn was killed. See Ron’s page on my site for more.

Photo 3: This is Ron and a fellow pilot relaxing at the Chateau they’d taken over in France, captured from the Germans.

Photo 5 – in this portrait of Ron, he’s wearing a ribbon. According to what I’ve found out he was Mentioned in Despatches twice, but i don’t have him being rewarded any specific medals for valour. Does anyone know what this medal is? Did MiD winners get a ribbon?

6 – This is the gun-camera shot of one of two enemy aircraft that Ron destroyed.

8 – This shot was scanned from one of thsoe tiny proof print, the size of a 35mm negative. Not bad huh?

I meant no argument. After all, Dave is yet to fly to England and sit in a rainy tearoom at Popham while we discuss the physical and mental peculiarities of other form members so I don’t like him THAT much . . . .

It’s nice to know I’m liked a little bit anyway – unlike Pearl Harbor. I attemted to watch a little bit too, and switched off. I have watched it at the cinema when it came out, that didn’t seem quite so bad. But second time around it’s total crud.

Anyway, back to the topic, the ‘Reach For The Sky’ doco sounds like a wonderful thing, doesn’t it? I hope our Canadian friends will let us know what it’s like when it airs, and tell us where we can get a copy.

Peter, are you involved with the production? That’s ‘your’ Lanc at Nanton isn’t it?

PS – Melvyn, once you get your lovely Rearwin flying, you are welcome to swing by and pick me up so I can fly to that teashop for a natter. 🙂

It is my pleasure to share these photos, I’m so glad that there are others who appreciate them as much as myself.

Here are one or two others.